Freezing tray



Nov. 26, 1968 K. K. KESLING FREEZING TRAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 22, 1966 INVENTOR. @277 A. fies/Mg ATTORNEY K. K. KESLING FREEZ ING TRAY Nov. 26, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 22, 1966 INVENTOR. Mb K Wm;

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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,412,572 FREEZING TRAY Keith K. Kesling, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 581,313 Claims. (Cl. 62344) This invention pertains to freezing trays and receptacles for frozen liquids, and more particularly to a simple flexible freezing tray constructed to receive a uniform twist when inverted and twisted over and relative to a collecting receptacle.

It has been proposed to eject ice and other frozen liquids from a flexible multiple compartment tray by twistting the tray in inverted position over and relative to a collecting receptacle. I have found that the twisting produced in such trays is not sufficiently uniform throughout all parts of the tray to eject the frozen liquid from all of the compartments of the tray.

It is an object of this invention to construct a flexible freezing tray in such a way that when it is inverted and one of the ends is twisted relative to the other end over a collecting receptacle the tray will be uniformly twisted from end to end to eject the frozen liquid from all of the compartments of the freezing tray into the collecting receptacle.

It is another object of this invention to construct a flexible tray in such a way that each of the compartments will be subjected to a substantially equal releasing and ejecting force when the tray is inverted and twisted over a collecting receptacle.

It is another object of this invention to provide an arrangement of a flexible freezing tray and a collecting receptacle in which the collecting receptacle will hold firmly one end of the freezing tray and a corner at the opposite end in such a way that the tray can be twisted substantially uniformly by pressure upon the corner which is not being held to eject the frozen liquid from all of the compartments of the tray into the collecting receptacle.

These and other objects are attained in the form shown in the drawings in which the collecting receptacle is provided with a slot at one end which receives a projecting flange at one end of the inverted flexible tray. The receptacle is also provided with a supporting ledge at one side, which supports a flange upon one side of the inverted tray. To assure the desired uniformity of twist, the opposite sides of the tray are tapered in opposite directions and provided with a continuous flange. The large end of each of the tapered sides is provided with a shoulder. This shoulder is arranged to engage a cooperating shoulder at the end of the supporting ledge on one side of the collecting receptacle. This cooperating shoulder holds the tray from longitudinal movement so that the flange at the opposite end is prevented from becoming dislodged from the slot in the receptacle. The frozen liquid is ejected from the compartments of the tray by substantial deflection of the unsupported corner of the tray which causes the tapered side to uniformly twist the tray to eject the frozen liquid from all of the compartments of the tray into the collecting receptacle.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of an inverted flexible tray and collecting receptacle embodying one form of my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

3,412,572 Patented Nov. 26, 1968 FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view through the inverted tray and receptacle taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a view in elevation looking toward the unsiupported deflected corner of the tray and the receptac 6.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a collecting receptacle 20 of linear polyethylene or polystyrene or acrylic butadiene styrene copolymer or other suitable material. At the one end of receptacle 20 there is provided a horizontal slot 22 extending substantially between the opposite side walls 24 and 26 of the receptacle. The collecting receptacle is also provided on the left side with an upwardly facing supporting ledge 28 and an upwardly extending flange 30 extending along the outer margin of the ledge 28. A downwardly extending flange 32 also extends along the ledge 28 and also around the slotted end and the opposite side of the receptacle 20.

A flexible freezing tray 34 preferably of a suitable plastic such as high density polyethylene or polystyrene or acrylic butadiene styrene copolymer or other suitable material is provided for freezing liquid in an upright position within the freezing compartment of a household refrigerator. As shown, this freezing tray is provided with two longitudinal side rows 36 and 38 and a longitudinal middle row 40 of small generally rectangular freezing compartments. Each row contains ten small compartments each having tapered side walls. The compartments are arranged in rows of three extending transversely. However, the compartments may be of other shapes and sizes and arrangements.

According to my invention, the outermost side walls of the outer rows 36 and 38 extend to form tapered side walls 42 and 44. The side wall 42 is tapered in the opposite direction to the taper of the side wall 44 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Each of the side walls 42 and 44 are provided with a continuous outwardly extending flange or rim 46 and 48. The taper may be of any suitable angle such as 5. The respective large ends of each of the tapered side walls is provided with an upright shoulder and 52. The flanges 46 and 48 extend continuously from the tapered edge over the shoulders 50 and 52 to the flanges 45 and 56 at the opposite ends of the tray. The tray is symmetrical end for end. The outer side walls of the rows 36 and 38 of the compartments are in substantially the same plane as the remainder of the side walls.

After the compartments of the tray are filled with the liquid to be frozen and are frozen in the upright position, the tray with the frozen liquid is placed in an inverted position over the receptacle with the flange 54 at the one end located in the slot 22 at the one end of the collecting receptacle 20. The flange 46 rests upon the supporting ledge 28 and the shoulder 52 rests against a cooperating upright shoulder 58 at the end of the ledge 28 opposite the slot 22. The engagement of the shoulder 52 with the cooperating shoulder 58 prevents the flange 54 of the tray from being dislodged from the slot 22 by preventing the tray from moving toward the open end of the receptacle. The tapered sides of the tray together with the outwardly extending flanges 46 and 48 assure that the tray will be substantially uniformly twisted when a downward force is applied to the unsupported corner 60 of the tray as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The taper increases uniformly from the unsupported corner to the opposite end thereof. This uniform twisting of the tray by application of a downward force onto the corner 60 sufficient to deflect the corner 60 substantially into engagement with the flange 62 causes the frozen liquid to be ejected from all of the compartments of the tray 34 into the collecting receptacle 20.

The tray is arranged to be reversible end for end so that regardless of which end is held by the slot 22, the side wall extending from the unsupported corner to the edge held by the slot increases in height uniformly from the unsupported end flange to the other end flange which is supported within the slot 22. This assures that substantially equal releasing and ejecting forces are applied to all of the compartments of the tray and assures that a substantially uniform helical twist results to eject the frozen liquid from all of the compartments into the collecting receptacle 20. The end of the receptacle 20 opposite the slot 22 is provided with a flange 62 extending transversely between the sides substantially at the bottom of the downwardly extending flange 32. This flange 62 is located in the path of the unsupported corner 60 when it deflected downwardly to limit the amount of twist and flexing which can be applied to the tray 34. This prevents rupturing or imparting a permanent twist to the tray. The tray 34 can be inexpensively molded by a vacuum forming or injection molding. The collecting receptacle is preferably injection molded. Both can be made inexpensively and are convenient to use.

While the embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A frozen liquid harvesting combination including:

(a) a receptacle for receiving the frozen liquid,

(b) a flexible tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein,

(0) said tray having ends and sides,

((1) said receptacle having holding means for holding one of the ends and having means for supporting one of the sides of said tray when said tray is located thereon in inverted position,

(e) the other side of said tray being provided with a taper which increases in its transverse dimension from the opposite end to said one end to make more uniform the longitudinal twisting of the tray relative to said receptacle.

2. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the sides of the tray are tapered in opposite directions.

3. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the other side of the tray is also provided with an outwardly extending flange.

4. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the sides of the tray are tapered in opposite directions and each has a shoulder at the large end of the taper, said receptacle having means cooperating with one of said shoulders for preventing said tray from disengaging from said holding means.

5. A combination as defined in claim 1 in which the compartments are arranged in a plurality of longitudinal rows, the wall portions of said compartments on said other side of said tray being substantially in the same plane as said tapered other side.

6. A flexible twistable tray provided with walls forming a plurality of compartments therein, said tray having ends and sides, one of the sides of said tray being provided with a taper from one end to the other.

7. A tray as defined in claim 6 in which the taper of said one side is substantially uniform substantially from one of the ends to the other.

8. A tray as defined in claim 6 in which the opposite sides of the tray are tapered in opposite directions.

9. A tray as defined in claim 6 in which the opposite sides of the tray are tapered in opposite directions and each of the tapered sides is provided with an outwardly extending flange.

10. A tray as defined in claim 6 in which the tapered side and the adjacent walls of the compartments are substantially in the same plane.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,931,053 l0/1933 Berkeley 249l27 X 3,135,101 6/1964 Nigro 249l27 X 3,159,985 12/1964 Keighley 249l27 X I. HOWARD FLINT, JR., Primary Examiner. 

6. A FLEXIBLE TWISTABLE TRAY PROVIDED WITH WALLS FORMING A PLURALITY OF COMPARTMENTS THEREIN, SAID TRAY HAVING ENDS AND SIDES, ONE OF THE SIDES OF SAID TRAY BEING PROVIDED WITH A TAPER FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER. 